Wavelength regulation in bacteriorhodopsin and halorhodopsin: A Pariser–Parr–Pople multireference double excitation configuration interaction study of retinal dyes

Abstract

A Pariser–Parr–Pople (PPP) Hamiltonian is employed to study many-electron excitations in protonated and unprotonated retinal Schiff bases. Excited states are described by a multireference double excitation configuration interaction expansion (MRD-CI) and a simplified perturbational treatment. The effects of electron correlation on the spectra of retinal dyes are analyzed and compared with experimental data. It is shown that the spectra of retinal Schiff bases are much more sensitive to the effects of protonation and charge environment than previously assumed. Based on an analysis of observations the computational results demonstrate that varying counterion distance is the essential mechanism of wavelength regulation in the retinal proteins bacteriohodopsin (BR) and halorhodopsin (HR). Spectral properties of intermediates of the photocycles of BR and HR are predicted and it is shown that available spectroscopic data are compatible with a 13,14-cis model of these cycles. Independent evidence is provided that the quantum yield of photoisomerization in BR is 0.6.